A variety of water treatment systems exist for the treatment of water for human consumption. According to one such water treatment system, a flow rate of water is filtered and subsequently exposed to germicidal radiation. Filtration of the flow rate removes suspended solids such as sand and dust particles. Germicidal radiation from an ultraviolet light source deactivates harmful microorganisms that escape filtration of the suspended solids. According to this process and other known processes, the flow rate of water is transformed into a potable condition for human consumption and other uses.
In many instances it can be desirable to heat water from a water treatment system. According to one known method, treated water is accumulated in a reservoir and heated according to a batch process. That is, substantially the entire volume of treated water is heated to an elevated temperature before any portion of heated water can be discharged for personal use. While benefiting from its simplicity, the process suffers from a number of shortcomings. For example, the heating of a large volume of water can be energy-inefficient, particularly where less than the entire volume of heated water is desired. Where smaller heating reservoirs are used, the output can be intermittent, largely depending on the speed at which the treated water is heated before being discharged.
Accordingly, there remains a continued need for an improved system and method for heating treated water. In particular, there remains a continued need for an improved water temperature component that is compatible with water treatment systems, the water temperature component being efficient across a wide range of conditions while providing a ready supply of heated water for human consumption and other uses.